Metallics JDS165 6 x 1-1/2 in. 1/4 Indented Hex Head Slotted Sharp Point Tapping Screws - Steel Zinc - Each

Type A is a sharp gimlet point tapping screw meant to cut its own thread in thin material, and the Metallics JDS165 is built for light metal assembly: electrical outlets, framing and other sheet metal work. The gimlet point starts without a pilot in light gauge steel. For thicker structural steel or for a blunt-point application you want a Type B style instead, not this one.

Either. The JDS165 has an indented hex head with a slot, so a 1/4 inch hex driver or a flat blade both work. The hex measures 0.244 to 0.25 inch across the flats and 0.272 across corners, which is what a standard 1/4 inch nutsetter grips. The slot runs 0.039 to 0.048 inch wide and 0.033 to 0.046 inch deep, so a standard cabinet-tip flat blade seats in it. Most electricians run these on a nutdriver and keep the slot as the backup for tight spots.

No. The JDS165 is not Buy American compliant and is not ARRA compliant, and country of origin is listed as multiple. If your project carries domestic sourcing requirements, this screw won't satisfy them.

It's a #6 diameter, 1-1/2 inch long screw with 18 threads per inch, cut to the ASME B18.6.4 thread standard and the ASME B18.6.3-2010 dimensional standard. The long 1-1/2 inch shank suits reaching through a device or bracket into sheet metal behind it rather than a flush sheet-to-sheet joint.

Yes, the head carries an integral washer face measuring 0.302 to 0.328 inch outside diameter and 0.015 to 0.025 inch thick, with overall head height of 0.08 to 0.093 inch. That bearing surface spreads load on thin sheet and on device plates so the head doesn't pull through light gauge material.

These ship in a jar of 100, and 100 is the order minimum. Shipping weight on the jar is 0.62 lbs. If you need a different size or a different count for a larger job, other sizes and quantities in the JDS line are available by request.

The JDS165 is carbon steel with a zinc plating, which is a mild indoor corrosion coating. It's fine in dry interior electrical and framing work. For wet, exterior, or corrosive locations zinc-plated steel is the wrong choice and you should move to a stainless or hot-dip galvanized fastener.

24 lb-in minimum torsional strength, with the steel heat treated to Rockwell C28-38 and made from AISI 1016-1024 carbon steel. That's a #6 screw, so it twists off easily on an impact driver. Drive it on a clutched driver or a nutdriver at moderate speed and stop when the washer face seats.